Cerebral palsy is a coverall name for a group of brain-based, childhood neurological disorders that have no current cure and, in many cases, no known cause. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10,000 babies are born each year in the U.S. with CPy. The March of Dimes estimates that 2-to-3 children out of every 1000 born are affected. Symptom treatment has been the most effective tool to improve the quality of life for children with the disorder.
Sources of Cerebral Palsy
Doctors do know that cerebral palsy, caused by abnormal brain development, is a condition that is most often present at birth, although finding out if a child is affected may take some time. Discovery is made during infancy or before age three, when a child's motor or learning abilities fail to progress normally.
Several known risk factors are believed to contribute to a higher incidence of cerebral palsy including genetic inheritance, maternal blood diseases and infections, premature birth and severe infant jaundice. Brain injury in the womb, as is the case with fetal stroke, or an injury in early infancy due to brain infection or trauma, can lead to cerebral palsy. In rare situations, oxygen deprivation during the birth process has been linked to the disorder, but in other instances the cause remains unknown.
Types of Cerebral Palsy
All children with cerebral palsy do not exhibit the same disorder symptoms or degree of impairment, although the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reports that two thirds of children born with CP will also have mental difficulties, that may or may not include seizures.
Up to 80 percent of cerebral palsy victims have a spastic disorder in which muscles are too stiff to allow free movement. Spastic CP can be isolated to the legs (diplagia) or may affect one side of the body (hemiplagia). Spastic quadriplegia overtakes both arms and legs and usually prevents the ability to walk. Five to ten percent are athetoid and ataxic patients who have whole-body difficulties with muscle coordination and movements.
The Goals of Treatment
Since CP is so far incurable, health care professionals have focused on symptom management. Physical therapy is a large part of ongoing coordinated care efforts that result in improved patient movements, strength and control. Speech therapy, mechanical aids, drugs to reduce spasticity and, in extreme cases, even surgery are used to enhance a child's life quality potential.
Current Research
While the medical research community continues to search for a cerebral palsy cure, risk factor reduction is simultaneously being studied. Premature births and maternal infection prevention measures, as well as improved treatments and therapies, are being developed for children born with cerebral palsy.
Sources of Cerebral Palsy
Doctors do know that cerebral palsy, caused by abnormal brain development, is a condition that is most often present at birth, although finding out if a child is affected may take some time. Discovery is made during infancy or before age three, when a child's motor or learning abilities fail to progress normally.
Several known risk factors are believed to contribute to a higher incidence of cerebral palsy including genetic inheritance, maternal blood diseases and infections, premature birth and severe infant jaundice. Brain injury in the womb, as is the case with fetal stroke, or an injury in early infancy due to brain infection or trauma, can lead to cerebral palsy. In rare situations, oxygen deprivation during the birth process has been linked to the disorder, but in other instances the cause remains unknown.
Types of Cerebral Palsy
All children with cerebral palsy do not exhibit the same disorder symptoms or degree of impairment, although the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reports that two thirds of children born with CP will also have mental difficulties, that may or may not include seizures.
Up to 80 percent of cerebral palsy victims have a spastic disorder in which muscles are too stiff to allow free movement. Spastic CP can be isolated to the legs (diplagia) or may affect one side of the body (hemiplagia). Spastic quadriplegia overtakes both arms and legs and usually prevents the ability to walk. Five to ten percent are athetoid and ataxic patients who have whole-body difficulties with muscle coordination and movements.
The Goals of Treatment
Since CP is so far incurable, health care professionals have focused on symptom management. Physical therapy is a large part of ongoing coordinated care efforts that result in improved patient movements, strength and control. Speech therapy, mechanical aids, drugs to reduce spasticity and, in extreme cases, even surgery are used to enhance a child's life quality potential.
Current Research
While the medical research community continues to search for a cerebral palsy cure, risk factor reduction is simultaneously being studied. Premature births and maternal infection prevention measures, as well as improved treatments and therapies, are being developed for children born with cerebral palsy.